LGBTQ Activists In Ivory Coast Concerned Over Wave Of Attacks

LGBTQ activists in Ivory Coast expressed concern on Thursday over verbal and physical attacks fanned by social media targeting gay and transgender people. Anti-LGBTQ content soared on social media at the start of last month, spurred by rumours of a child abuse case supposedly involving a gay person. “Since the start of August, around 30 […]

The Supreme Court Case on Trans Health Care, Explained.

Since 2021, 24 states have banned hormone therapy for transgender youth with gender dysphoria. Leading medical experts and organizations — such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics — oppose these restrictions, which have already forced thousands of families across the country to travel to maintain access to […]

Georgian Parliament passes amnesty, anti-”LGBT Propaganda” bills in second reading

The Georgian Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill of amnesty of thousands of prisoners and a legislative package against “LGBT propaganda” in their second reading, with the final vote on the bills expected by the end of the month. The amnesty bill, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party this year, will lead to the immediate […]

Argentina state job cuts push LGBTQ+ people ‘back into sex work’

After coming out as non-binary, Argentine artist Federico Adorado searched fruitlessly for two years to secure a formal job that guaranteed a salary and access to healthcare. But thanks to a trailblazing 2021 quota law that reserved 1% of public sector jobs for transgender, transsexual and non-binary people, the artist found an administrative job at […]

Tehran summons Australian ambassador over ‘norm-breaking’ Instagram post, Iranian media reports

Iran summoned Australia’s ambassador in Tehran over the publication of an Instagram post the government deemed “norm-breaking”, Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency reported on Tuesday, a day after state media said the post had “promoted homosexuality”. The post on the embassy’s official Instagram account celebrated “Wear It Purple Day” and expressed dedication to creating “a […]

New Bulgarian LGBT+ Law Marginalizes Communities, Rights Groups Warn

A law banning the portrayal of LGBT+ identities in Bulgarian educational institutions is just the latest piece of repressive legislation in a wider assault on minorities and marginalized communities across parts of Europe and Central Asia, rights groups have warned. The law, passed in a fast-track procedure last month, is similar to legislation passed or […]

Britain’s first gay anthem? Why the UK’s pioneering LGBTQ+ protest band reunited

There is a little bit of gay in everyone today,” sing Michael Klein and Gillian Bartlam, the lead singers of Everyone Involved, a collective of musicians formed by Klein and the UK Gay Liberation Front (GLF) activist Alan Wakeman. “Gay is natural, gay is good, gay is wonderful,” the song continues. “Gay people should all […]

Transgender Texans now unable to change sex on their birth certificates

A new policy is limiting the changes transgender Texans can make when it comes to their identities. On Aug. 30, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) made it so that Texans are unable to update their sex on their birth certificates, even if they previously received a court order permitting them to do […]

Cameroon: Church choir member suspended for a same-sex embrace

Esau is a young effeminate member of the choir Chant du Salut at an evangelical revival church in the Ahala district of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Aged 27, Esau is an active member of the church. During the Aug. 15 celebration of the Feast of the Ascension, he was surprised hugging an older man. […]

Murder of Lesbian Couple in KZN Highlights Persistent LGBTIQ+ Hate Crimes

A young lesbian couple were brutally murdered in KwaZulu-Natal, allegedly by the former male partner of one of the victims. According to media reports, on 27 August, Nombulelo Bhixa, 28, and Minenhle Ngcobo, 22, were approached by Ngcobo’s ex-boyfriend in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg. An argument ensued, during which the man allegedly shot both women in the […]

Australian Embassy Defies Iran’s Anti-LGBTQIA+ Laws, Celebrates Inclusion

In a bold move, the Australian embassy in Tehran has celebrated “Wear it Purple Day”, a stark contrast to Iran’s strict anti-LGBTQIA+ laws where homosexuality is punishable by death. The embassy shared a vibrant post on Instagram, showcasing Ambassador Ian McConville and staff adorned in purple, enjoying cupcakes, and championing diversity and inclusion. “Today, and […]

Enoch Burke: Irish teacher in transgender row jailed for third time

A teacher at the centre of a row over a transgender student has been sent to prison for a third time by a Dublin court. Enoch Burke was arrested by Irish police at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath on Monday after refusing to abide by a court order instructing him to stay away. The […]

LGBTI protections expand as public acceptance grows, Williams Institute finds

Social acceptance correlates strongly with legal protections for LGBTI individuals, according to a new report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Researchers analyzed a variety of factors to categorize countries by their stages of LGBTI protection, a process detailed in the report. These factors included whether nondiscrimination laws were in place […]

LGBTQ people at risk: Will Bangladesh be a safe haven for Islamist militancy?

Human rights activists in Bangladesh fear that the nation’s current transitional government is opening the door to a return to the days when Islamic terrorists were murdering pro-secular and pro-LGBTQ writers. Among the victims were pro-secular blogger Rajib Haider, murdered in 2013, and LGBTQ rights activists Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Tonoy, murdered in 2016. In 2017, radical […]

Jeff Younger: Fighting For Kids

Flower Mound resident Jeff Younger recently spoke with The Dallas Express about his ongoing custody battle with his ex-wife, Anne Georgulas. Georgulas refers to one of their fraternal twin sons as Luna, a transgender female, while Younger fiercely insists that the child is not transgender and uses his given name, James. “The liberal judges in Dallas County got together, and […]

Hong Kong NGOs for sexual minorities suffer government funding cuts and pressure

The party was in full swing at 11 pm. Carrying a large bag of leaflets, Kit entered a gay bar in Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan, manoeuvred through the crowd of people drinking and socialising, and handed out free packs, each containing a condom, lubricant and an information card about preventing HIV. “Thank you! These free condoms […]

Football match postponed after disquiet expressed over signing of transgender goalkeeper

Sutton United’s women’s team abruptly postponed their scheduled match at Ebbsfleet United on Sunday amid mounting anger over their signing of goalkeeper Blair Hamilton, a biological male. The notice of postponement was issued so late, within three hours of the scheduled 2pm kick-off time, that Ebbsfleet ended up donating their matchday supplies to a local food […]

Dominican Court Reviews Anti-Gay Sex Laws

The Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court will hear a challenge on August 30, 2024, to laws that criminalize consensual same-sex conduct by officers in the police and armed forces, Human Rights Watch said today. In an amicus curiae brief, Human Rights Watch said that these discriminatory laws violate the rights under international law of lesbian, gay, […]

Anti-trans laws may complicate access to the ballot for trans voters

In Kansas, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union have drafted a letter reminding election workers that a gender marker on a person’s identification does not need to match or correspond to a voter’s gender expression. Staff for the organization have also held clinics elsewhere to prepare trans Americans for the identification requirements they will […]

Behind the limbo of Viktor Orbán’s queer censorship

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz government are seen as outliers in the European Union because of their gender-phobic and homophobic ideology. The European Commission even took Budapest to court in 2022 over an anti-LGBT+ law known as the “Child Protection” act. The controversial law, which passed on 15 June 2021 also simultaneously […]

Still No Trial Date for Johannesburg Grindr Gang Case

The seven men accused of kidnapping and severely assaulting a Johannesburg student last year still do not have a trial date, leaving the victim no closer to justice. The men appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, following an earlier postponement on 15 August. The case has been mired in nearly a year of […]

Dominican Republic: Court Reviews Laws Against Gay Sex

The Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court will hear a challenge on August 30, 2024, to laws that criminalize consensual same-sex conduct by officers in the police and armed forces, Human Rights Watch said today. In an amicus curiae brief, Human Rights Watch said that these discriminatory laws violate the rights under international law of lesbian, gay, […]

Move from rhetoric to action on #PutPeopleFirst

Transformative empowerment is mostly not given by ‘experts from the outside,’ but happens when the most affected people themselves rise to take back power to transform their lives and wellbeing. “When we put people first, then we cannot just address one or two issues they face,” rightly says Amrita Sarkar of India HIV/AIDS Alliance who […]

Uganda LGBTI activist honored by Canadian refugee organization

Steven Kabuye, a Ugandan LGBTQI+ rights activist who survived a deadly homophobic attack in January, has been honored with the Rev. Troy Perry Medal of Pride from Canadian refugee assistance organization Rainbow Railroad. The violent knife attack by two yet-to-be-identified assailants left him with serious body injuries and scars that he says will never leave […]